Rumors of the bout first surfaced on Tuesday, and a source close to Nelson today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the bout is close to finalized.

It’ll take place on the preliminary card of UFC 96, which takes place March 7 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Nelson, one of the more experienced cast members on his season of “TUF,” entered the show with a six-fight win streak while competing primarily in his native Hawaii with the Rumble on the Rock organization. Once on the show, Nelson earned a spot on the cast with an elimination-round victory over Charles Diaz. However, he was eliminated in the next round by eventual show winner Efrain Escudero via submission.

Despite the loss, Nelson earned a spot on the show’s live finale. At the Dec. 13 event, he edged George Roop for a split-decision win, which was his seventh consecutive professional victory overall.

Nelson will now take on Riley, who recently picked up his first UFC victory during his third stint with the organization. Riley, a former Golden Gloves champion who made his professional MMA debut as a 16-year-old in 1997, defeated Jorge Gurgel via unanimous decision at UFC 91 and picked up a $60,000 Fight of the Night bonus for the effort.

During previous stints with the UFC, Riley suffered a unanimous decision loss to Robbie Lawler (2002) and a first-round TKO defeat to Spencer Fisher (2006).

Riley has now won eight of his past 11 fights.

For the latest on UFC 96, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

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